Hunted
by MacKenzie Rabb
Summary: Mac's stalker comes back to haunt her, and everything in her life gets more complicated. (6/6) Completed.
1. Hunted Chapter 1

Title: Hunted (1/6)  
  
Author: MacKenzie Rabb  
  
E-mail/Feedback: mackenzie_rabb@yahoo.com  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for eventual language and violence)  
  
Spoilers: "The Stalker" and late season 6/early season 7  
  
Written: July 22, 2001 - March 13, 2003  
  
Disclaimer: "JAG" and all the characters within belong to Donald Bellisario, Paramount, and CBS. I'm not stubborn enough to avoid getting Harm and Mac together THIS LONG, am I? :)  
  
Summary: Mac's stalker comes back to haunt her, and everything in her life gets more complicated.  
  
Author's Notes: This is a story I've been working on, on and off, for the past year and a half or so. I thought I had abandoned it, but then I picked it back up and have almost completed it. It's over 60 journal pages long so far, so don't worry, there are plenty of parts to come. I'm just testing the waters with this first part to see if anyone is interested. If you are, please send me feedback, it would be appreciated. Please just remember to respect the list mom's wishes and e-mail it privately. Thanks.  
  
Also, this takes place beginning/middle of season 7, a bit after Mac got back from her stint with the Marines overseas.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Mac should've been going to bed, but as usual she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep right away, so she curled up on the couch and turned the TV on.  
  
It was the usual ten o'clock fare that greeted her as she flipped the channels - the news and a few inane sitcoms. Finally, she decided on the news she usually watched when she had the time.  
  
When it came back from the break, she wished she'd never turned it on. She was hearing the anchorwoman, but not quite absorbing what she was saying.  
  
"Breaking news. We've just received a report that former D.C. detective, Frank Coster, who was convicted of murdering local attorney Dalton Lowne and stalking JAG lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie three years ago, has escaped from prison. Officials say that one guard was found unconscious, and that the whereabouts of Coster are currently unknown."  
  
They then showed Coster's picture. "If anyone has seen this man, call the D.C. police immediately. It is not known if he is armed, but he should be considered extremely dangerous. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops."  
  
Mac clicked the TV off and wrapped her arms around herself. Harm would want to know, but he still didn't own a television. Should she call him? Coster had caught her the last time she had tried to take care of herself, and she was positive he'd try to come after her again.  
  
With trembling hands, she reached over, picked up the phone, and quickly dialed Harm's number. She hoped she wasn't waking him, but she wasn't the same woman she was three years ago. She knew she couldn't deal with this alone.  
  
Harm answered on the third ring. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Harm," Mac started, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Mac. What's the matter?"  
  
"I didn't wake you, did I?"  
  
"No, no. What's wrong?" he insisted. He could hear something in her voice, and he didn't like it.  
  
"I, uh, I was just watching the news and Coster's escaped from prison."  
  
"How?" Harm asked. "They had him in Jessup, that's maximum security."  
  
"I know. I don't know how he got out. They didn't really give any details, except they found a guard knocked out."  
  
Harm thought for a moment. He could be at her place in fifteen minutes. The question was, would she let him? They'd been through a lot in the past few months, and things were still a little rocky at times. But he had to ask.  
  
"Mac, do you want me to come stay with you?"  
  
She was silent for a few seconds. She couldn't seem to find another option. "Would you?"  
  
"You know I will. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, okay? I'm throwing a few things in a bag and coming straight over. Don't answer your door or your phone till I get there, okay?"  
  
"Thanks, Harm."  
  
"You don't have to thank me," Harm said, before he hung up.  
  
*  
  
Twelve minutes and forty-nine seconds later, Mac heard a knock on her door. She looked out the peephole and breathed a sigh of relief at the fact it was Harm.  
  
She opened the door and smiled. "You sped, didn't you?"  
  
"Not really. There wasn't much traffic," he said, but he looked sheepish.  
  
Mac just laughed a bit to herself and locked the door.  
  
"So, what's the plan?" he asked.  
  
"Well, of course, I've only got the one bedroom, unfortunately. You probably ought to take the bed, because you're gonna be too long for the couch."  
  
Harm smiled slightly. His height was always causing him some kind of problem.  
  
"Mac, I couldn't do that, then you'll be uncomfortable."  
  
"No, I won't. It's plenty comfortable, plus I'm seven inches shorter than you are."  
  
"You might have a point," he agreed. "As long as you're sure."  
  
"I'm sure," she said, matter-of-factly. She was also sure she wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight, so where she did her tossing and turning didn't really matter.  
  
"Have you seen anything since the initial report on the news?"  
  
"I - No, I turned the TV off after."  
  
"Well, let's check ZNN. They might have something by now."  
  
Harm led Mac over to the couch and they sat down. He flipped through all the channels, finding nothing, finally leaving it on ZNN to catch the news at the bottom of the hour.  
  
As they sat there, Harm didn't know what to say to her. Even though she looked calm on the outside, he knew she must be a wreck on the inside. He really couldn't bear to see her relive all that had happened three years ago. She'd been through too much already.  
  
They had to find Coster, and they had to find him fast, before he was able to get anywhere near Mac. Because if Harm found him first, he was going to wish he'd never escaped from prison.  
  
After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern in his eyes.  
  
"I'm fine, Harm," she said with a weak smile.  
  
"You don't have to be tough for me, Mac. You know that. I know you must be scared. I am. He fooled us the first time, and we know he can be far more dangerous than he looked."  
  
"I am scared, Harm, but how can we be sure he'll come looking for me?" she said, her eyes downcast.  
  
Harm gave her a look that clearly said 'you know better', and she was caught.  
  
"Okay, so I know that's gotta be his plan. But isn't that kind of obvious?"  
  
"Mac, psychos don't think about obvious. And Coster is definitely psychotic, among other things."  
  
She knew what he said was true, denial wouldn't work. He escaped with one purpose - revenge. He was probably still deluded into thinking he was in love with her. And she couldn't do a thing about it till he showed his face, if he ever did.  
  
If it wasn't immediately, it would be someday, and she couldn't live like that. She and Harm couldn't stay holed up in her apartment forever either.  
  
"What are we going to do?" she asked, feeling helpless.  
  
Harm put his hand over hers. "Tonight we're going to be safe. Tomorrow we'll see what the police have, and if they've made any progress. I'll stay with you at night, if that's okay."  
  
"Harm, I couldn't ask you to do that."  
  
"You might as well, because I'm going to anyway," he grinned.  
  
That made her smile. "So, you're my newly appointed bodyguard."  
  
"Absolutely," he answered, but he was serious.  
  
Harm was still looking at her with all that concern in his eyes, and it was only the music of the current newsbreak that broke his stare.  
  
The anchorman reiterated what Mac had heard earlier, adding only, "Police fear that he may come after former Major, now Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops."  
  
"Well, that's comforting," Mac said dryly. "If the police are so 'fearful' of that happening, then why haven't they called me?"  
  
At that moment, the phone rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.  
  
"You've gotta calm down, Mac," Harm said as he answered the phone. "Hello? Yes, this is her partner at JAG, Harmon Rabb. Yes, we've seen it on the news. Here she is."  
  
He covered the receiver with his hand. "It's a Lieutenant Cane," he whispered, before handing her the phone.  
  
"Hello?" she said. "Um, yes, he's staying here. At least for tonight."  
  
"That's good, it's not a great idea for you to be alone right now," Cane told her. "As great as that is, we'd like to post a couple of guards outside your building tonight. Just in case that's the first place Coster heads."  
  
"If you think it's necessary, it's fine with me," Mac said.  
  
"They're being dispatched right now. We'd also like to apologize for not notifying you personally sooner, but there's been a lot going on tonight."  
  
"That's all right, Lieutenant."  
  
"Give us a call if you see or hear anything suspicious."  
  
"Will do," she assured him. "Thanks, bye."  
  
Mac clicked off the phone and sighed.  
  
"What is it?" Harm asked.  
  
"They want to post two guards outside my building. You'll remember what little good that did last time."  
  
"They also didn't know who it was last time," Harm reminded her. "I'm still staying, so as long as there's someone in here with you, things should be all right."  
  
Both of them were at a loss for words for a moment, looking anywhere but at each other. It was past eleven and they both had work in the morning, but sleep didn't sound very appealing.  
  
"Look," Harm finally said. "You go on to bed, and I'll stay out here."  
  
Mac started to protest, but he cut her off.  
  
"You need some rest, and I'm here to make sure you're okay, not to sleep," he smiled.  
  
Mac knew how hopelessly stubborn he was, so she didn't argue this time.  
  
"Like I'll sleep," she muttered, standing up.  
  
Harm stood up, too. He pulled her into a hug, something he hadn't done in a very long time.  
  
"It'll be all right, Mac. Someone will find him soon, and this'll all be over."  
  
She laid her head against his chest. "Thank you so much for staying, Harm," she said, and with one last squeeze she let him go and headed for the bedroom.  
  
"Night, Mac," he called after her.  
  
"Night, Harm," she murmured, as she pushed the door till it was only open a crack.  
  
Harm settled down on the couch, propped up in the corner, with no hope of ever fitting if he laid down. He checked his gun and put it on the coffee table, within easy reach if he needed it.  
  
Mac crawled beneath the covers, tossing and turning every couple of minutes, unable to get comfortable. She marveled again at how your life could be thrown into a tailspin in just a matter of minutes. It had happened plenty of times before, somehow she wasn't surprised it had happened again.  
  
She felt safe with Harm on the other side of the door, but how long could he camp out on her couch?  
  
*  
  
At 2 a.m. Mac finally gave up any hope of sleep, and went into the kitchen to make some tea. On her way there, she checked on Harm, who was sprawled awkwardly on the couch, most likely just dozing, but she didn't disturb him anyway.  
  
She was sitting at the kitchen table, idly dousing her teabag in her cup, when she looked up to find Harm in the doorway.  
  
Mac smiled wearily. "Before you even ask, no, I haven't slept."  
  
"Wasn't even going to ask," he smiled back. "Mind if I sit down?"  
  
"Go ahead," she said, gesturing to another chair.  
  
There was a slight chill in the air, so she was glad he was in pajama pants and a Navy sweatshirt. The last time they'd been up in the middle of the night together, she was protecting him at his apartment, and he was wearing nothing but boxer shorts. She didn't think her nerves could've handled that at the moment.  
  
"I saw you were getting a few winks though," she teased.  
  
He grimaced and rubbed his neck. "I wouldn't say that, but I'm doing my best."  
  
"I hate to say I told you so, but I warned you about you and that couch..."  
  
"Well, it's really not as bad as it looks, and the door is in your living room, not your bedroom. So that's where I need to be."  
  
Mac just shrugged. "Suit yourself."  
  
"You're tired of this already, huh?" Harm asked sympathetically.  
  
"Well, yeah," she snapped.  
  
"I'm sorry, stupid question," he apologized.  
  
Mac sighed. "It's certainly not your fault my stalker's loose. *I'm* sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You don't even have to be here, and yet... here you are."  
  
He gave her a look that clearly said, "When are you going to realize that I *do* have to be here?", but she didn't catch it.  
  
Harm decided to change the subject, if only slightly.  
  
"I'll call the Admiral before work in the morning and let him know what's going on, if he doesn't know already. Then I'll arrange for us both to leave at the same time, because you don't need to go anywhere alone for awhile."  
  
"I know," she said, sounding defeated. There were just some things your tough, Marine persona couldn't get you out of. This was one of those things.  
  
She started to ask him if telling the Admiral that he was going to be staying with her was wise. Then she figured that would be implying she thought it looked like something it wasn't as well. It was better not to say anything to Harm, and just tell the Admiral like it is.  
  
When she snapped back to reality, Harm was looking at her thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea.  
  
To her surprise, he answered.  
  
"I was just thinking about how you don't deserve all this crap you've been dealt, Mac. You deserve so much better." He stopped before he said anything any more telling.  
  
Mac was almost taken aback, but what he'd said was sweet. She couldn't figure out where it came from all of the sudden, he wasn't one to open up often. She hoped he couldn't see the heat creeping up her neck and face in the near-dark.  
  
"Thanks, Harm," she said, smiling slightly. He said the oddest things out of the blue sometimes.  
  
She took another drink of her tea, and got up. That chill in the air wasn't so present anymore.  
  
"We probably ought to try to get some sleep. Six is going to come early," Mac said softly, squeezing his shoulder as she passed him. "See you later this morning," she said, leaving the kitchen.  
  
Harm sat there by himself a moment.  
  
Dangerous ground, he thought. And we have other dangers to think about right now.  
  
(End 1) 


	2. Hunted Chapter 2

See headers in Part 1  
  
*  
Part 2  
*  
  
Mac had been right - six did come too early.  
  
Harm was still trying to get some decent sleep when she came in the living room at exactly six a.m., and whacked him with a pillow.  
  
"Rise and shine, Flyboy," she said with an overly bright smile.  
  
Harm just rolled his eyes and groaned. Maybe Mac was used to getting little to no sleep, but he wasn't.  
  
Mac just laughed at him. "Go take a shower, I'll make some breakfast, then I'll let you drive the 'Vette to work." If that didn't get him up, nothing would.  
  
Slowly he stood up and stretched all the kinks out of his body. He'd have to sleep on the floor tonight. Anywhere but that disagreeable couch.  
  
"You okay, Harm?" Mac asked, watching him massage his neck.  
  
"I'm fine. I've slept in a bunk on a sub, remember?"  
  
Mac just shook her head and went into the kitchen.  
  
A minute later she heard the shower start, and she went back in the living room and turned on the news where she could hear it as she made breakfast.  
  
As she beat eggs, the news resumed, and she stopped to listen.  
  
"Convicted murderer and stalker Frank Coster is still on the loose after he broke out of Jessup maximum security prison in Maryland yesterday evening. Police have no further information on his whereabouts, though there are roadblocks and a manhunt going on in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. Particular attention is being paid to Georgetown, where Coster's stalking victim lives. In other news..."  
  
Mac went and shut off the TV and returned to her eggs. She was always a victim. When would she stop being a victim?  
  
"Mac?" Harm said from the doorway, breaking into her thoughts.  
  
"Harm?" she said, starting to beat the eggs again.  
  
"Have you heard anything yet?"  
  
"Yeah, I had the TV on a minute ago," she said, not turning to face him.  
  
"And?"  
  
Mac chose to neglect that question for the moment. "He broke out of Jessup." She turned around.  
  
"Yeah?" he said, confirming what they already knew.  
  
"Harm, how does someone break out of Jessup?"  
  
"I don't know, Mac. I'm not a criminal."  
  
She gave him a look.  
  
"Hey, I was wrongly imprisoned," he pointed out. "And when I broke out of the brig, I had help. Coster doesn't have any friends that I know of, so I doubt he had any."  
  
"Maybe," she said, turning back around. "Why doesn't anyone want me to have any peace?"  
  
Harm was looking at her sadly. "I want you to," he said softly.  
  
Mac sighed. "I know, but you're my..." she paused, "friend. It's the rest of the world that won't leave me alone."  
  
Harm wanted so much to help her. He knew everything she'd ever been through, and that she wasn't as tough as most people thought she was.  
  
But there were still things to work out. Things that had to be fixed from the last two years. So he could be there for her, but only as a friend. At least for now. They had both discovered there was more to it than that, but now was not the time to go there.  
  
He decided to let that line of discussion drop.  
  
"I called the Admiral. He said he doubted that Coster would try anything at JAG, but he'd up personnel security, for your sake. If he was stupid enough to come there, not everyone knows what he looks like."  
  
"Okay," Mac said, resigned to the fact that this was really happening.  
  
Harm pulled out a chair. "Sit down, Mac, you have to eat."  
  
"Thanks for the info, *Dad*," she teased him, sitting down.  
  
"There's a good girl," he teased back, putting eggs on two plates, followed by toast, and bacon for Mac.  
  
He set their plates on the table, and poured coffee and retrieved orange juice from the refrigerator.  
  
"Wow, maybe I should keep you around," Mac smiled.  
  
"Well, you're stuck with me for now. Be careful what you wish for. Anything else?" he asked.  
  
"No, I think that'll do it."  
  
Harm sat down.  
  
"Are you really okay?"  
  
Mac shrugged. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"  
  
"There's always a choice, Mac," Harm said seriously.  
  
"I'm okay as I'm going to be, Harm. Try not to worry so much, all right?"  
  
"I'll try."  
  
They ate the rest of their meal in silence.  
  
"You go get a shower, and I'll clean up," Harm said.  
  
"Are you serious?" Mac laughed.  
  
"How long do we have to get out of here?"  
  
"Forty-eight minutes and twenty-three seconds."  
  
Harm stood up. "Then get a move on, Marine," he mock-ordered.  
  
"Yes, sir," she said as she padded off to the bathroom.  
  
*  
  
The day had passed without incident, and even though she'd actually been able to concentrate on her work, Mac felt this was just the calm before the storm. The longer nothing happened, the more tense she got.  
  
She was massaging her neck when Harm rapped on the doorframe.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked.  
  
"Just about," she said, standing up and gathering some files from various places on her desk. After all these years, she was still the only one who knew where anything was in her office.  
  
She finished, and he grabbed her coat and cover and handed it to her.  
  
"Come on, I'll make dinner," he said, as they walked out of her office.  
  
"Pizza Hut?" she asked.  
  
"You bet," he grinned.  
  
The Admiral caught them as they were heading out.  
  
"I won't keep you long. I just wanted to make sure you know that I want to be kept abreast of the situation," Chegwidden said.  
  
"Of course, sir," Harm assured him.  
  
"That'll be all."  
  
"Aye, sir, " Harm said as he and Mac turned to leave.  
  
"Commander," the Admiral called after him.  
  
Harm turned around.  
  
"Take good care of the colonel."  
  
"You know I will, sir," he said, turning back around.  
  
"Cause the colonel's such a little girl," Mac muttered good naturedly.  
  
Harm just gave her a look.  
  
As they walked out to Mac's car, every instinct was tuned into their surroundings, but they made it into the car and out of the parking lot without a problem.  
  
As soon as they got home, Mac changed into sweats, while Harm ordered pizza. The apartment was fine, with no sign of entry.  
  
It was like waiting for someone to push you off a precipice. Anything could happen at any time.  
  
Dinner passed quickly, with friendly conversation. Harm left Mac to look over some case files while he washed up the few dishes they had used.  
  
She couldn't let him pamper her forever, but for now it was nice.  
  
Harm had only been in the kitchen a few moments when the phone rang.  
  
"I got it!" Mac called, picking up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Sarah," a gravelly voice said on the other end of the line.  
  
Mac's heart began to pound. She knew it was Coster, his voice was barely disguised.  
  
"Mac, who is it?" Harm yelled from the kitchen.  
  
"Is someone there with you, Sarah?"  
  
Mac didn't say anything. She got up off the couch and went to the kitchen door.  
  
Harm turned around and saw the expression on her face.  
  
"It's him," she mouthed, but he'd already suspected it.  
  
Harm picked up the kitchen extension as quietly as he could, and nodded.  
  
"What do you want?" Mac asked firmly.  
  
"You, of course," Coster responded.  
  
She swallowed hard. "Haven't we been through this before, Coster? Why would you want me?"  
  
"I love you, Sarah. I've tried to stop myself, but I can't."  
  
"You don't love me, Coster," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You don't stalk and harass someone you love."  
  
He seemingly ignored that comment.  
  
"I want to be with you, Sarah."  
  
Harm saw the look of disgust on her face, and impulsively took over.  
  
"If you want to live, you'll stay away from her, you sick bastard."  
  
They both heard a click on the other end of the line.  
  
"Thanks, that probably made things a *lot* better," Mac snapped.  
  
Harm shrugged. "I'm sorry, but he might as well know you're not alone, Mac."  
  
"I'm sure he would've found out anyway. But now we have to worry about you, too. You're not going to wind up like Dalton, Harm," she said, clearly shaken by what had just happened.  
  
"No, I'm not, Mac. If Coster comes anywhere near you, or me, he won't live to be sent back to prison."  
  
Mac said nothing; she didn't need to. The understanding in her eyes said everything.  
  
Harm put an arm around her and led her into the living room.  
  
"We better report that call to the police," he said.  
  
"I'll do it," Mac insisted. She had to do something.  
  
"Okay," Harm said, handing her the phone.  
  
She went into the bedroom to call Lieutenant Cane, leaving a very worried looking Harm in the living room.  
  
She emerged five minutes later, put the phone back on the base, and sat down on the couch.  
  
"So?" Harm asked.  
  
"He said since we couldn't trace it all we could do is report it. And now that they know he's after me for sure, they're putting four more guards outside the building.  
  
"I'm a prisoner in my own home, Harm."  
  
Harm sat down beside her. "It's all we can do, Mac. Take precautions. I know you don't like it, and neither do I."  
  
"I just feel so... weak. Like I'm completely helpless and can't take care of myself. What's happened to me?" she asked, looking as lost as she sounded.  
  
"You're not weak, Mac. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. And you're not helpless either. Everybody needs some help sometimes, and that's not anything to be ashamed of. We've got each other's backs, remember?"  
  
"I know," she smiled faintly.  
  
"We have to use extreme caution. Coster's facing a life sentence if he goes back to prison, so he's got nothing to lose.  
  
"But I do."  
  
Mac just wanted to pretend she hadn't heard right. Things had been getting better for them since they'd both become single again, and he'd been saying things like that. Things that she knew went far beyond a friendly meaning. She hardly ever acknowledged it as such, to protect her heart a little longer.  
  
After her near-wedding to Mic, she'd needed some time and space. When she'd gotten back from her time with the Marine detachment, she'd tried to start building their friendship again. Things had been going fine, but she knew now that all she would have to do is say the word and he'd be ready to go further.  
  
Only now, she was the one that wasn't quite ready, and especially not under these circumstances.  
  
She looked away abruptly. "So what do we do now?"  
  
"Try to calm down," Harm replied.  
  
"Well, that may be easier said than done," she said with a nervous laugh.  
  
"I would think work is out, we'd never be able to concentrate on that...   
  
"How about a movie? It'll pass the time, and maybe get our minds off all this."  
  
At her look, he laughed.  
  
"Well, it might, you never know."  
  
"Okay," she sighed.  
  
*  
  
Three hours later, they were halfway into their second movie when Harm noticed Mac had fallen asleep.  
  
Her head had lolled back to rest on the back of the couch, and despite her position, Harm could tell by her breathing that she was deeply asleep.  
  
She must be mentally exhausted, he thought as he turned the TV off.  
  
He stood up, trying to decided whether or not to leave her on the couch. He finally decided against it. Putting one arm behind her shoulders and the other underneath her knees, he managed to pick her up without waking her.  
  
He knew Mac hardly ever slept for long, and when she did it was lightly. He hoped there wasn't anything wrong other than what she'd been through in the last twenty-four hours.  
  
Harm carried her into the bedroom and laid her down. She immediately rolled over on her left side and curled up.  
  
He was not looking forward to another night on the couch. He had an idea, but he knew if he was caught he'd be a dead man. But if she was sleeping as soundly as he thought...  
  
He went back into the living room, checked the locks on the door again, and grabbed his gun off the coffee table.  
  
Going back into the bedroom, he put his gun on the nightstand. Harm took a deep breath and slipped into bed beside Mac. She hardly stirred at all as he wrapped his arms around her and spooned up beside her.  
  
It felt so right to be there with her.  
  
He'd just have to wake up before her in the morning. 


	3. Hunted Chapter 3

Title: Hunted (3/6)  
  
Rating: PG-13 (slight language, violence, and an adult situation)  
  
Spoilers: "The Stalker" and late season 6/early season 7  
Part 3  
*  
  
Mac rolled over and rubbed her eyes. It was exactly six o'clock, as always.  
  
She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that long or that well. Glancing at the other side of the bed, it looked like it always did - smooth and not slept in.  
  
But she could've sworn...  
  
Maybe I just dreamed Harm was here with me, Mac thought, giving her head a shake. He must've at least carried me here since I certainly don't remember getting here myself.  
  
She looked down.  
  
Not to mention I'm still in my clothes. Obviously, Harm's proximity is starting to get to me, she tried to rationalize.  
  
"Harm?" she called.  
  
He popped his head in the door. "Yes?"  
  
"Oh, I was just wondering if you were up."  
  
"Yeah, have been for about half an hour."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Breakfast is ready when you are," he said.  
  
"All right." She looked down at her rumpled clothes again. "I think I'll take a shower and change first."  
  
"Okay," Harm said, leaving.  
  
How was he going to explain last night if she knew?  
  
He'd just have to tell her outright that he didn't want to wait anymore, and be prepared to face what she faced in Sydney - rejection.  
  
If he didn't know Mac better, he'd think this was revenge. But it wasn't. A lot had happened in the last six months, and he knew she wanted to put some time and distance between those events and their possible future.  
  
And the waiting was killing him.  
  
He thought it was odd how your situation and another person's could switch so completely. His current situation was a cruel irony indeed.  
  
He wouldn't breathe a word about last night if she didn't know. It would have to be his little secret for the moment, the only thing that got him through last night.  
  
If somebody didn't find Coster, and fast, he didn't know what they were going to do. Straight to work and back, cooped up in this apartment like caged animals, there was only so much to do.  
  
It was far too dangerous for Mac to go anywhere alone. Coster could snatch her up at any time, and there wouldn't be a tracking device to lead him to her this time.  
  
Mac broke his thoughts as she came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, her hair still wet.  
  
"So, what's the plan for today?" she asked.  
  
Harm looked at her sympathetically. "The same, I'm afraid. Except we need to go to my place after work, so I can pick up a few more things."  
  
"Okay," she sighed. "Anybody from the police department call?"  
  
"Nope, sorry."  
  
"Yeah, me, too."  
  
"He's playing very hard to get, Mac. The phone call's all we've got, and we don't even know where he made that from."  
  
"Probably a pay phone down the street," Mac muttered. "I'm sorry," she shrugged. "I just think I'm losing my mind."  
  
"Me, too," he said, and he meant it in more ways than one. "I'm gonna take a shower now, if that's okay."  
  
"Sure," Mac said.  
  
It was going to be another long day for them both.  
  
*  
  
"I'll just be a couple of minutes, but you'd better come up, too," Harm said, as they pulled into his lot.  
  
"It's not a problem," Mac said.  
  
They took the rickety elevator up to Harm's apartment in silence. Harm exited the elevator first, and he was immediately glad he'd brought his gun with him. He'd stopped in the middle of the hall, and Mac almost ran into him.  
  
"Harm..." she started, but then she saw what he saw. "Oh, God."  
  
The door to Harm's apartment was wide open, and the scene inside was one of disaster.  
  
Harm kept Mac behind him as he held his gun at the ready, and walked through the door. He doubted anyone was still inside, but he was almost certain who *had* been.  
  
All of the furniture was turned over, far from its original location, and there were papers all over the living room from the desk. The kitchen was worse. Broken glasses and other dishes littered the tile floor.  
  
They inspected the bedroom next, and found all the drawers hanging open and empty. The only thing left untouched in the entire apartment was Harm's bed.  
  
In the middle of the perfectly made up bed was a single sheet of plain, white paper.  
  
Harm picked it up and read the two words printed in bold, red letters: SHE'S MINE.  
  
He looked at Mac. She looked as if she was about to be sick.  
  
"How could...? Why?" she asked no one in particular, about to cry. It was the first time she'd shown any sign of total breakdown since the whole thing started. "Your stuff..."  
  
"Is just stuff," Harm sighed. Broken glass could be replaced, the rest could be picked up, but what about Mac? This guy had gone far beyond losing it.  
  
Harm pulled out his cell phone and gestured for Mac to take a seat on the bed.  
  
"By the time this is over, we are apparently going to be very well acquainted with the DCPD," he said, dialing the already familiar number.  
  
"Great," Mac said flatly. She hoped she found Coster first. If she did, she was going to rip him apart with her bare hands. It was plenty to come after her, but the man she loved, too...  
  
She couldn't fight that anymore, she sure of that now. It just wasn't something she could deal with at the moment, she had to make that sicko pay first.  
  
"They'll be here in a few minutes, for all the good it's going to do," Harm said, clicking his phone shut.  
  
Mac's eyes filled with tears, but she wasn't about to let them spill over. "This is my fault, Harm. You shouldn't be involved in this, it'll only get you..." She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. Taking a deep breath and swallowing, she finished, "It'll only get you killed."  
  
"Mac, I already told you it wouldn't. This is not your fault," Harm said, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands.  
  
"But, Harm, you don't know what could happen. Nobody knows."  
  
"No, we don't. But I'm going to keep *us* as safe as possible. And again, this is not your fault. It's Coster's and you had nothing to do with it."  
  
Mac wiped her eyes and looked away from him. "I know. I didn't mean it like that, that came out wrong. I meant it's my problem."  
  
"It's our problem," Harm said firmly.  
  
There was a knock on the door before Mac could reply.  
  
Harm stood up to answer the door with a regretful look.  
  
They finally came face to face with Lieutenant Cane. He was about Mac's height with sandy hair and dark eyes. He was younger than Harm, but rather average looking. He wouldn't have been easy to spot out on the street.  
  
"Commander Rabb?" he asked.  
  
Harm shook his hand. "Yes, and this is Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie," he said, indicating Mac.  
  
"I'd say 'nice to meet you', but under the circumstances..."  
  
Mac smiled slightly. "It's okay."  
  
Cane took a look around. "Well, needless to say he didn't tiptoe through here, Commander. You do something to especially piss this guy off?"  
  
"Yeah. I helped send him to jail," Harm replied.  
  
Cane turned around. "Martin, scour the place for prints." He turned back to Harm and Mac. "Anything in particular you think we should check for prints?" he asked them.  
  
"He left a note in the bedroom," Harm said, pointing to his room.  
  
Cane nodded at Martin, and as soon as the photographer was done, he brought back the note.  
  
"She's mine," Cane read out loud. "Does he have any reason to think you're anybody's, Colonel MacKenzie?"  
  
She glanced uncomfortably at Harm. "Uh, no, my last relationship ended about six months ago."  
  
"But I'm assuming he's referring to the Commander here, since he broke into his apartment to leave this note. Wouldn't you say that's what's going on here?"  
  
"Yes, but we're just friends."  
  
"Apparently our suspect doesn't think so," Cane said, regarding Harm and Mac suspiciously. "You're staying with her?" he directed at Harm.  
  
"Yeah," he answered. "We've been through this before, so we figured it would be safer if she wasn't alone. No matter how many guards are outside."  
  
"I can understand your concern," Cane assured them. "I don't think there's a whole lot you can do here. We'll have to cordon it off, because for now it's a crime scene."  
  
"Great," Harm said.  
  
"You might want to think of another place to stay besides the Colonel's apartment, too. If he knows where that is, you might not be safe no matter what."  
  
"We'll take that under consideration," Mac said.  
  
A couple of minutes later, Harm thanked the officers and escorted Mac out of the apartment.  
  
"This is just fantastic," Mac said when they were back in the car. "Why can't someone catch him?"  
  
"I don't know, Mac, but we might need to rethink where we're staying."  
  
"And where are we going to go?"  
  
Harm sighed. "That's the part I haven't figured out yet."  
  
Mac leaned her head back against the seat.  
  
"I might have an idea," Harm said suddenly.  
  
*  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but really, under the circumstances..." Harm trailed off.  
  
"No, Harm," A.J. said with a thoughtful frown. "It's not a bother. I'm actually glad you came to me.  
  
"I have a small cabin in the mountains. It's nice though, livable, well-equipped. I could give you about a week off, you could go up there, lay low, see if Coster makes a move again. I could send a couple of military guards up there with you, just in case."  
  
"I really appreciate all of this, sir. I hate to cause this much trouble," Mac said.  
  
"I already said it's no trouble, Mac. I want you two in one piece, and this nutjob caught, and if that means giving you a few days off, then so be it. Do you want to head up there tonight?"  
  
"We might as well, sir," Harm said. "I just don't know what Coster will do when we disappear. If he does nothing, we're wasting our time."  
  
"They might catch him where he's staying, maybe he'll slip up in a public place," the Admiral shrugged. "You never know."  
  
"That's true, sir," Mac agreed.  
  
"I'll get you the key, make a call for the guards, and you can be on your way."  
  
Mac smiled, and the Admiral headed for the kitchen.  
  
She wanted to tell Harm 'we can't do this', but as of right now, they didn't have much of a choice.  
  
Small cabin, close quarters, Harm in pursuit, her defenses breaking down...  
  
She might be in even bigger trouble in hiding.  
  
The Admiral came back with two keys, breaking into her inappropriate thoughts. She tried to keep from blushing as she looked up again.  
  
"Sir, I can't think you enough," she said.  
  
"Don't thank me," he replied. "Just stay safe, Mac."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
As they got up to leave, Harm and A.J. shared a look that said everything. Don't let anything happen to her; guard her with your life. 


	4. Hunted Chapter 4

Part 4  
*  
  
Mac tossed her bag down on the floor inside the door of the cabin and felt around for the light switch. The Admiral had said the place had electricity.  
  
"Ah ha!" she exclaimed when she finally found it.  
  
"What?" Harm asked as he walked through the door with more luggage.  
  
"Nothing. Just found the light."  
  
"Oh," he said, looking around. "Nice place he's got here."  
  
Mac picked up her bag and hauled it to the bedroom. Of which she found there was only one.  
  
"No kidding," she responded. "Ya think he knows it only has one bedroom?"  
  
"What?" Harm said, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"That seems to be your question of choice tonight."  
  
Harm shook his head. "Sorry." He walked up behind Mac and peered in the bedroom.  
  
There was one very large bed, an overstuffed chair, a night stand, and a desk. It was your typical hotel room, only larger and with better decor and furnishings.  
  
"Maybe the couch folds out?" he asked.  
  
Mac just shrugged. "I guess you could try it."  
  
Harm removed the cushions from the couch in the living room, and looked at Mac. "It doesn't."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Yeah, great."  
  
"Look," Mac said. "Let's just get a fire started in that huge fireplace, and we'll worry about that later."  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
There was already a good stack of wood next to the fireplace, so Harm went about starting a fire, while Mac lugged their things into the bedroom.  
  
That bed is at least king size, Mac thought. There's no reason to be children about this. She sighed.  
  
Not children. Two very attracted adults.  
  
Two very attracted adults who would act like children by sleeping as far away from each other as possible.  
  
Mac came back into the living room where Harm had a blazing fire going.  
  
"I think we can manage to share that bed and have plenty of personal space."  
  
Harm immediately looked like a deer caught in headlights, but quickly tried to recover.  
  
"Uh, fine. We can do that. This couch isn't going to hold up to either one of us."  
  
Mac just sighed. "Well, I'm going to see if we have water, and if so, I'm going to shower and then you can do... Whatever," she said with a wave of her hand, turning for the bedroom again.  
  
As soon as she left the room, Harm collapsed on the couch and started praying to God and anyone else who would listen.  
  
*  
  
"Your turn," Mac said, walking out of the bedroom in nothing but her robe. Her hair was wet, and she was trying to towel dry is as best she could.  
  
There was no response from the couch - Harm had dozed off.  
  
Mac shook him lightly. "Harm, wake up. Harm? You're really some bodyguard, ya know?"  
  
He grunted and opened his eyes. "What?"  
  
"You fell asleep."  
  
"Oh, sorry. You done in the bathroom?"  
  
"Yeah, you go ahead. I'll try to put this fire out in here, and get one started in the bedroom."  
  
Uh oh, she thought and gave Harm a *very* sharp look. Watch the wording, idiot, she warned herself.  
  
Harm wisely said nothing and left the room.  
  
Mac sat down and put her head in her hands. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she berated herself.  
  
This whole situation had gone too far. Somebody was going to leave this cabin with a confession, and she was afraid it was going to be Harm.  
  
Resigned to keeping her mouth shut, Mac got up and began covering the last burning embers of the fire with ashes. She gathered up the remaining firewood and carried it to the bedroom. She was thankful there *was* a fireplace there. Alternative ways of keeping warm were completely out of the question.  
  
Just keep telling yourself that, she thought.  
  
*  
  
Harm was on his back, under the covers, on the right side of the bed. Mac was on her side, back to him, under the covers on the left.  
  
There was at least six feet between them, and there they were practically hugging their respective edges.  
  
Harm could barely take listening to her breathe. He'd just been the victim of a very cold shower, and it still wasn't helping. It seemed that every five seconds he was turning his head to look over at her on the other side, all curled up in her flannel sleepshirt.  
  
Eventually, the erratic beat of his heart calmed down, and the nerves gave way to a deep, painful longing within his chest. They were so close, yet so far away.  
  
This bed was a perfect metaphor.  
  
He wanted to hold her, but he didn't want to push her. The worst of it was, she'd already given him his chance a long time ago, and he was afraid she'd never give him another.  
  
"Mac?" he whispered.  
  
"Yes?" she asked, rolling over to face him.  
  
He didn't think she'd been asleep, but she might've been close.  
  
"Do you ever think about if things were different?"  
  
He was only rewarded with a puzzled look.  
  
"Like... If I wasn't in the Navy, or you weren't in the Marines."  
  
Mac got the picture quickly enough. "Sometimes," she answered softly.  
  
"Do you think things could be different then?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"So there's no chance now-"  
  
"Maybe," she answered and rolled back over.  
  
She wanted to be honest with him, to tell him that she was willing to do anything to make them work. That they both had to want it, and she'd go up against the Admiral and anyone else she had to for them to stay together.  
  
But she was also willing to wait for him to make the big, risky, heartbreaking move this time. He had to prove, once and for all, that he'd let go.  
  
*  
  
Neither of them had slept well all night. But then, trying to be aware enough that you didn't move didn't exactly prove for restful sleep.  
  
Harm stirred at about two, only to find that Mac had somehow made her way over to his side of the bed. She was nestled into his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if she belonged there.  
  
In his half-sleep, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, and as he did so, Mac's hand began to run up his chest, settling behind his neck.  
  
Before he could shake away his grogginess, Mac's lips were on his. He gave in instantly, without a moment's hesitation, without thinking. His hands were on her back now, pressing her closer, as she raised up slightly to gain better access to his mouth.  
  
Harm still had his left arm around Mac, while his right hand trailed up her bare leg, just underneath the edge of her sleepshirt.  
  
But as her warm hands began to slide beneath his t-shirt, he paused. He was now quite alert, and had to stop this before they both did something they'd regret.  
  
Harm slowly broke the kiss, dragging himself away from Mac, as he gently took her by the arms, sliding her hands from beneath his shirt.  
  
"Mac," he said softly, as not to startle her.  
  
She opened her eyes with an agonized groan, and slowly pieced together what was going on.  
  
Harm gently let her down on her back, still lightly holding her arms.  
  
"I wasn't dreaming, was I?" she asked, her voice emotionless.  
  
He only looked at her, thinking he'd blown everything, and shook his head.  
  
Mac removed herself from his grasp and sat up, making sure to gather her night shirt around her as much as possible.  
  
"I, uh - " She raked a hand through her rumpled hair. "I don't know what happened. I usually sleep a *hell* of a lot light than that."  
  
"You haven't been getting any sleep lately."  
  
"That's still - I'm sorry."  
  
She sounded angry with herself, but he couldn't understand why.  
  
"Don't -" He was cut off by a flash of light through the window above the bed.  
  
Mac turned to look at him, her voice automatically lowering. "What?" she asked.  
  
Harm sat up now, too, and carefully peered through the window. "I saw a light. Could've been one of the guards with their flashlights, but I don't know."  
  
Mac looked slightly worried. "Should we check it out?"  
  
"It's okay. I will," he said, and for once she didn't argue.  
  
As he started to stand, Mac grabbed his hand, and he turned back around.  
  
"You don't think Coster...?"  
  
"It's not likely, Mac. But you just never know," he answered honestly.  
  
He grabbed both of their guns from the nightstand and handed Mac hers.  
  
"I'm going to go have a look outside, and you stay here and hold onto this."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I mean it - stay here. Don't try to be a hero."  
  
"Of course not. That's your job," she replied, but her tone was teasing.  
  
Harm just rolled his eyes and stood. "I'll be right back."  
  
"Be careful," she said as he left the room.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Hunted Chapter 5

Please see headers in Part 1.  
  
*  
Part 5/6  
*  
  
Harm kept his gun in front of him, sensing legitimate danger, all the while hoping he was wrong.  
  
He turned on the living room light, found nothing unusual, and made his way to the front door. Slowly, he opened it and eased his way outside, so he wouldn't disturb the guards suddenly.  
  
What he found as he walked out the door wouldn't be disturbed easily in the first place.  
  
The guard was probably about Harm's size, and he was lying on the ground, out cold.  
  
How the hell did Coster find us? Harm thought to himself, his senses now on full alert.  
  
He took a moment to check for a pulse, which he found, but there was no time to drag the poor guy inside. He needed to get back in and lock the door and tell Mac what was going on.  
  
But before he could do any of that, everything went black.  
  
*  
  
Mac wondered what was taking Harm so long. It shouldn't have taken all that long to ask the guards what was up and come back. Unless there were no guards to ask anything anymore.  
  
She clutched her gun tightly and got up from the bed. Harm had told her not to be a hero, but she had no idea where he was or if he was all right. It wasn't like she had much of a choice.  
  
Besides, if Coster had found them, he wasn't going to try to kill the man she loved a second time.  
  
It didn't take her long to find her answer. As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom she got it.  
  
Somehow Coster had slipped behind her, and the next thing she knew he had grabbed her by the neck, drawing her to him.  
  
In the next instant she saw Harm sprawled on the floor by the front door, a two by four not far from him.  
  
"Get the hell out of my life, Coster," Mac ground out.  
  
"Oh, but, Sarah, we're just starting," he hissed into her ear.  
  
Mac tried not to let her shiver of disgust show, and attempted to backhand him with the gun she still held.  
  
She was a fraction of a second too slow, and he caught her wrist before she could hit him and twist free.  
  
"Uh uh, Sarah. Be a good girl now. There's plenty of time for the rough stuff later," he said with a chuckle.  
  
She thought she was going to be sick, but she bit back the bile rising in her throat and took a deep breath.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked quietly. She had to come up with a way to incapacitate him, or she and Harm were both dead eventually. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill Harm before daylight, and her torture would likely take much longer and be a lot more painful.  
  
She had to fix this mess so she wouldn't die with the secret her pride had made her keep from Harm.  
  
Coster took the gun from her. He turned her to face him and trailed the barrel of the gun down her cheek.  
  
"If you're a good little girl, Sarah, I might let your boyfriend live. Maybe."  
  
"He's not my boyfriend."  
  
"But you want him to be, Sarah. Same thing. Seeing as you love him though, I might have to kill him anyway."  
  
"So that's what you do, huh? Make the woman you love miserable by destroying the people and things most important to her? You don't love me. All you've done is hunt me and stalk me like the prey of an animal. That's not love, you sick son of a bitch, it's just twisted."  
  
He shoved her roughly down on the couch, and sat on the coffee table opposite her.  
  
"Now, Sarah, we can do this the hard way - you won't like that - or the easy way. So what's it gonna be? We can leave here quietly, leaving Rabb for dead, and he might have a chance. Or I can shoot him in front of you right now and things will only get worse from there.  
  
"It's your decision, Sarah."  
  
There wasn't anything she could do immediately. She'd just have to leave and catch him off guard eventually. Anything to keep Harm safe. He would find them somehow.  
  
"When do we leave?" she asked casually, as if they were just going for a joyride.  
  
"Right now."  
  
Slowly, she got up from the couch. Coster waved the gun at the door, and she walked two steps in front of him all the way there.  
  
Mac tried not to give Harm a second look as she passed him, but she could tell he was still breathing. She could hear Coster moving slowly behind her, and the next thing she knew there was a thud and the gun went flying past her into the yard.  
  
She spun around to see her captor sprawled flat on his face, Harm's hand around his ankle. Both men were struggling to get off the floor, but not having much success in their positions.  
  
Without a thought, Mac kicked Coster hard in the face, grabbed the unconcious guard's flashlight right outside the door, and started searching for her gun in the yard.   
  
When she re-entered the cabin, a different scene was playing out in front of her.  
  
Coster and Harm stood about four feet away from each other, and Coster had a gun aimed at Harm.  
  
Mac mentally smacked herself. Of course he'd have his own gun with him. How stupid could she be?  
  
This had to be over and fast. But how could she shoot Coster without him shooting Harm?  
  
"Looks like this is where you make a big decision, Sarah. Either you shoot me and I kill him, or you put the gun down and I kill him." He laughed harshly. "So? What's it gonna be?"  
  
Mac shot Harm a signal with her eyes. He knew she was going to do something, he just didn't know what yet.  
  
"Fine," she said and slightly crouched down, making it look like she was going to lower her gun to the floor.  
  
Coster was totally focused on Mac now, allowing Harm to knock the gun from his hand.  
  
She sprang back up from her crouching position, her gun aimed at the scrambling man. He and Harm were now fighting each other with their bare hands. Every time Mac thought she had a clear shot, Harm got in the way.  
  
She saw Coster reach down to his ankle and pull out a knife. He was just about to rush Harm with it when she finally got a clear shot.  
  
Her bullet found its mark at his temple and he crumpled to the floor.  
  
It was over.  
  
Harm gave her a concerned look as he stooped over the fallen man to check his pulse.  
  
"He's dead."  
  
Mac blew out a breath and dropped her gun. She began to tremble, and Harm rushed to her side, putting his arms around her to steady her.  
  
He led her out of the living room, and into the bedroom, where she wouldn't have to look at the body.  
  
He sat down with her on the edge of the bed as she began to cry.  
  
"He had the knife, and he was going to hurt you, and he was *never* going to stop... I - I had to..." she choked on a sob.  
  
"Ssshhh. It's all right, Mac. You did what you had to do. What one of us was going to have to do eventually. I'm just sorry it was you."  
  
Mac looked up at him, the tears falling rapidly down her face. "I just wanted him to stop, to pay... God, do you think they'll think I didn't shoot him in self defense or defense of you?  
  
Harm brushed the hair from her face. "Not with me as a witness," he replied gently. "I know what happened."  
  
She touched the side of his face, where a large purple bruise was quickly blossoming from his blow to the head. "Are you all right? I thought I was gonna lose you there."  
  
He covered her hand with his. "I'll be okay. I'm gonna need some aspirin before too long, but I'll live," he said, dropping a quick kiss on her head.  
  
"I don't want to leave you, but I've gotta go check on those guards, and one of us has to call the authorities."  
  
"I'll do it," she said with a sniff.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
She nodded as she said, "Now, go check on those poor men out there."  
  
*  
  
Ten minutes later, Harm had assessed the situation, and it wasn't all good news.  
  
Three of the guards were alive, but the fourth unlucky man had apparently been hit in the right spot to be fatal and not just render him unconscious.  
  
Harm had been able to rouse one of them, a Lieutenant Hauer, who was well enough to help him move the other three men into the cabin.  
  
After that situation was as well taken care of as it could be without other help, Harm went back to the bedroom to check on Mac.  
  
She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, her tears dried now, sucking it up like the Marine that she was.  
  
He liked all aspects of Sarah MacKenzie, but he never got tired of just seeing her let her guard down and be a woman.  
  
She'd tell him that was just his chauvinistic male side, if she knew. But it wasn't that. He just wanted to take care of her, even if she could take care of herself.  
  
"Holding it together, Marine?" he said as he crossed the room.  
  
"I suppose so," she replied dully.  
  
He could tell by the slump of her shoulders, her paleness, that the adrenaline had run out, and the energy she had along with it.  
  
He resumed his position beside her, arms firmly around her, allowing her to lean on him for support.  
  
"You called the police?"  
  
"Mmmm hmmm. Lieutenant Cane and the others should be here in forty-five minutes or so. I told him the gist of what happened, so they could come prepared."  
  
She felt Harm nod beside her.  
  
"I called the Admiral, too, to let him know before anyone else told him. He's coming, too."  
  
"That was a good idea," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.  
  
"You know," she started, "it probably wasn't such a good idea to come out here. I don't know how he managed to follow us, but we could've been killed or held hostage out here, and no one would've ever known until it was too late."  
  
"I don't know," Harm said wearily. "We got him, that was the goal.  
  
"I just wish it hadn't come at the expense of one of the guards," he sighed.  
  
Mac shifted a bit to face him. "Oh no, that's horrible. The others are fine?"  
  
"As far as I can tell. The one that came to is watching the others."  
  
Mac sighed and laid her head against Harm's shoulder. "I'll never understand why he did this. Why anyone does things like this."  
  
"He was really sick, Mac. That's about all there is to it."  
  
Mac passed a hand over her eyes, and Harm realized he'd never seen her look so tired.  
  
He made her lie down on the bed and cover up, even though it was hardly the ideal situation. She would need at least a few minutes of rest before the questioning started. It was going to be a long rest of the night. 


	6. Hunted Chapter 6

*  
Part 6  
*  
  
Mac entered her apartment and dropped her bag with a loud thud and a sigh. It was a quarter after noon, and she'd just gotten in from the police department.  
  
Before that, she and Harm had spent half the morning at the cabin explaining to at least a dozen people exactly what had happened. Cane assured them it was all cut and dried, but if that was so, it seemed like there were a lot of statements taken and paperwork filled out anyway.  
  
Harm had been good about giving her space when she insisted she needed some rest and alone time. He'd just hugged her when he dropped her at her apartment and said he'd see her later.  
  
His eyes had betrayed him, though. He looked worried about her still, but she was fine now. She couldn't have controlled what happened anymore than he could, and they had to accept that.  
  
All she wanted right now was a shower and to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. She had a feeling, by the looks of Harm, she'd have to deal with him later. She was ready to face that, as long as he made the first move in the right direction.  
  
They couldn't go on like this. She'd almost lost him once again. It was time their feelings were resolved.  
  
*  
  
Harm was on his couch, nursing a beer, even though it was only two in the afternoon. He figured he deserved a drink, so the time of day didn't particularly concern him.  
  
Sleep had successfully eluded him. It was the first time in a week that Mac had been out of his sight, and he found himself extremely uncomfortable with that.  
  
She was usually the one protective of him, at least when they weren't busy pushing each other away. And looking back, he could definitely see where she'd get the feeling he didn't care at times.  
  
That wasn't it at all. He cared far more than he should have in the beginning, and he'd been trying to hide it ever since. He'd done an awfully good job as far as the Brumby mess was concerned. He couldn't let that happen again.  
  
If he wanted the future he pictured with her in it, he was going to have to act sooner rather than later. And hope that she'd still have him after all that had happened in the past year.  
  
*  
  
Mac had managed five hours of exhaustion-induced sleep, and had been sitting on the couch for the past half hour trying to avoid every news reporter dramatically gesturing about how she'd killed her stalker.  
  
There were still a couple of them outside her building trying to drum up something for the ten o'clock news, but she'd refused any interviews at all. She didn't consider herself any kind of hero for doing what she'd done, just a woman forced to do what she had to do to protect what was most precious to her.  
  
Let the people know the fugitive is gone and move on, she thought.  
  
She cocked her head when she heard a knock on her door, silently hoping that one of the reporters hadn't been brazen enough to come to her door.  
  
Checking the peephole, her anxiety vanished. At least as much as it was going to, considering Harm was on the other side of the door.  
  
She opened it and smiled. Harm was wearing sweats and a baseball cap, holding more cartons of Chinese food than two people could ever eat.  
  
"I'm not even gonna ask how you got past the reporters out there," she said, stepping aside to let him in.  
  
"Those sharks?" he grinned. "They thought I was a delivery guy. Never gave me a second look."  
  
Mac quickly cleared the coffee table and sat down on the couch.  
  
Harm set the cartons on the table, and, still standing, tipped his head to one side and focused his blue-green eyes on nothing but her.  
  
How many times had he looked at her just like that?  
  
"You all right?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine, Harm," she said softly. "Surprisingly better than I thought I would be." She patted the cushion next to her. "Sit."  
  
Taking off his cap, he sat down beside her.  
  
She started to reach for the egg rolls, but he took her wrist to stop her. He knew she was always hungry, but dinner would have to wait.  
  
Mac looked at his hand around her wrist, then up at his eyes. She knew this was it, it had to be.  
  
Harm didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. With his other hand, he reached up to cup her cheek, as he quickly closed the small gap between them.  
  
His lips were firm, yet gentle on hers, but she could feel the barely contained passion that was underlying.  
  
She wanted this so much that even though she knew this was his opening statement, and not his entire argument, she was sold. She'd still let him make his case, but she'd already drawn up the verdict.  
  
I'm such a damn pushover when it comes to him, she thought.  
  
They were so entwined now that the clothes on their bodies was the only thing keeping them from being any closer. Eventually, the need for air got the better of both of them.  
  
Mac was trying desperately not to gasp, and Harm looked a bit shaken as she fervently hoped he wasn't running scared again. That would be more than she could take.  
  
Her fears were quickly laid to rest.  
  
"Sarah," he said, both of her hands in his now, "there's no other way to say this, and I've already waited too long. I love you."  
  
She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, willing this to be real. She'd known in her heart that she loved him for a long time, and now he'd said the words to her.  
  
This had been one of the most surreal weeks of her life.  
  
Opening her eyes, she discovered a very worried looking Harm. She only smiled at him as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.  
  
"Oh, geez, don't cry, Mac," he begged pathetically, reaching up to wipe them away.  
  
Mac wrapped her hand around his wrist and shook her head. "It's okay," she whispered. "I love you, too, Harm."  
  
If relief had a face, it would've been Harm's at that very moment.  
  
"Well, aren't we quite the pair?" he said with a low chuckle.  
  
Mac wiped the rest of the tears from her face, wondering if there was anything she wouldn't cry at anymore. "That we are," she answered with a sigh.  
  
They looked at each other, realizing the hard part was over, but...  
  
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. The need to clear the air once and for all was overwhelming.  
  
"I'm sorry for holding back for so long," Harm said. "I should've just told you how I felt a long time ago. I was such an idiot about it."  
  
"I won't argue with you on that count," Mac said in a half-teasing tone.  
  
"I'm sorry for so many things... I wouldn't even know where to begin," she finished with a slight shrug. "For almost settling, for running away. I just don't want things to ever go back to that, Harm. I want this to be 'it', you know?"  
  
"I know," he nodded. "And it will be... It is. You can count on that."  
  
If there was anything she knew, it was that Harmon Rabb was a man of his word. No matter what kind of trouble it got him into.  
  
He kissed her again, threading his fingers through her hair. She leaned into him completely, both arms around his neck. They had both forgotten about the ton of food on the table in front of them.  
  
Dinner could wait till later. Much later. Right now there were far more important things to take care of.  
  
Like making up for years of lost time.  
  
Fin 


End file.
